The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1887-12-01

tho railroad folks along - hne, ans
there vas no end 10 the jokss sbous her
'By gosh Y ssys old Mr. puttcs 70 ou'
o the eAdsctors. one dsy. Tn thinlini
\ yoail bare 70 OK up car for'Aer spcshs
commodsiion il Il gocs on MI way muct
longer"
oh answers he. smiling. II. ia I
novelty 10 her Al present. ssd We don'l
obiec' Ars~r.awhile. when hsr curiosity
10 grstined. she'll b. couteut v ssttls dour
st HON. sgin. sDastalk over hsr travels.
Wen. she did .sy anist ~ week o,
tvc. and then took sein 70 nding on The
rail First she vent 70 Clovssdals 70 bny
tin kissle for zen cents. vktnh she said
was saving Of 6ve cents iren gittin' il
ut Cross Keys.
Then she left her gal ~ hops. and took
Lacindy Parks along, oil ths vay 10 the
city, TO sell eggs and buy caiiksr gownd
aud 30 i, went on sll the souaAsr
.oh. never mind, says tea conductor.
smiling bard sort o. smile. She'll get
tired of r.yellin' after while.
But she didn't seen to get tired. On
the contrary, she took to msking regular
trips. taking along first Que person and
then another. until the conductors go, to
looking as grum as bears; aud even the
tremep aud enJineers scoxied or lsffed
every lime she pu, in All appearance.
One enjiocsr used to ist of fearful
screech o the b'iler Whenever he seed
her coming; but after the first scare. she
got used TO 1t aud took no Soace.
And once, when she was late, and the
conductor started the train Jesi ~ she and
Luclnd, Parks WAS about climbing aboard
she threatened to sue the company If it
happened agiu.
They knew she'd keep her word. so
they was obliged to be on their good be
hayior to her
SO she kept it up all the first year or
two. Her way was TO get aboard with her
female companion, whoever itgmight be
for the time, aud Jest fix berself comfort
able near the stove or at q window, cord
lug as twas summer or winter, and thar
set and knit the whole journey through
She'd carry one woman up, may be, ana
bring another down; and at last it came
out that she was maxim areRnlsr business
of it, with folks that wanted to visit the
town or country, they paying her half or
quarter the regular fare, on whsy WAS pass
ed off on the railroad folks for free trip.
The company iuterferea thea, and said
about stopping 1t BY law, but
she lowed they hadn't stiperlated bout
any business o hern, and she was keeping
to the letter Of the agreement.
Then they tried to buy her of, but she
said she was satisfied as things was and
wanted no change. Still, it was clear that
she was not only making money for her
self, but keeping the company out Of it.
There was one engineer named Wells
on one OF the trains, aud bimeby, when
this had been going on matter OF four or
five years, Betsey Ann Simcoe noticed
that be had always fetched his cap aud
looked at her in soft, spooney sort Of
way whenever he bad seen her,
One day, when she was standing on the
bank. be flung bokey OF piuks and
batchelder buttons to her feet, and an
other time pitched her pound OF candy. |
Then he handed her newspaper with
some verses in it marked with charcoal
something about his heart being captivst-
ID by lady "over the way" that he had
never spoken to; and at last came letter
saying as bow he'd been interested in her
,ver sence he'd seen her SO often on the
,ars, aud he was sure she would make
lim the good, clever, sensible wife he'd
'lways wanted, If she could only bring
herself TO fancy him as he did her.
Well, she answered, the letter, and a
Meeting was fixed; but meantime one Of
he railroad chaps stepped in and told her
hat Wells was getting so dissipated that
he company talked OF discharging him,
,ut that she might be able to save him by
that she'd marry him only on
that he'd give mp up going TO
,arrooms.
He considered Of it aud said he would
{ she'd give up her railroad travelling and
tay ut home and make it comfortable for
llm and her.
So they both put it down in black and
Ehite, and got Witnesses to it, and took
Ath to keep their words. and then they
Tere married
OF course Betsey Ann Wells stayed at
ome now, aud set sbont doing all she
ould to make il pleasant for her husband.
She had plenty Of time TO do it in. for he
idn't make bis appearance there once q
Month skeersely; and at last she found out
hat it WAS all put up job OF the COM
any's, who'd bribed Wells, with 5000 10
harry her aud get her of the road for
ood
He was reckless sort OF chap, but
OF bad, and had always been ~ sober and
rec from barrooms as judge.
Betsey Ann was awful cut up when she